Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Stock Price Up 0.9% – Should You Buy?

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)’s share price shot up 0.9% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $144.67 and last traded at $144.62. 5,810,552 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 19% from the average session volume of 7,169,257 shares. The stock had previously closed at $143.34.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on JNJ. Guggenheim increased their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $156.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $178.00 to $181.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $166.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $163.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $185.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $174.73.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Down 0.4 %

The company has a market capitalization of $346.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $152.12 and a 200-day moving average price of $156.23.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 15th. The company reported $2.42 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $22.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.17 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 19.14% and a return on equity of 35.45%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.66 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 9.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be issued a $1.24 dividend. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.44%. Johnson & Johnson’s payout ratio is currently 71.78%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Mark A. Weinberger acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $147.22 per share, with a total value of $147,220.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 1,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $147,220. This trade represents a ? increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Summit Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.6% during the second quarter. Summit Wealth Partners LLC now owns 10,007 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,463,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Powers Advisory Group LLC grew its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 0.6% during the third quarter. Powers Advisory Group LLC now owns 9,489 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,538,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Eagle Wealth Strategies LLC increased its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 2.8% in the third quarter. Eagle Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 2,294 shares of the company’s stock worth $372,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Pine Harbor Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.9% in the second quarter. Pine Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,472 shares of the company’s stock worth $507,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Knuff & Co LLC boosted its stake in Johnson & Johnson by 0.7% during the third quarter. Knuff & Co LLC now owns 9,466 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,534,000 after buying an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Johnson & Johnson Company Profile

Johnson & Johnson, together with its subsidiaries, researches, develops, manufactures, and sells various products in the healthcare field worldwide. The company's Innovative Medicine segment offers products for various therapeutic areas, such as immunology, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis; infectious diseases comprising HIV/AIDS; neuroscience, consisting of mood disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, and schizophrenia; oncology, such as prostate cancer, hematologic malignancies, lung cancer, and bladder cancer; cardiovascular and metabolism, including thrombosis, diabetes, and macular degeneration; and pulmonary hypertension comprising pulmonary arterial hypertension through retailers, wholesalers, distributors, hospitals, and healthcare professionals for prescription use.